Lone Star Iconoclast and Lone Star Universe editor and publisher W. Leon Smith has written a new book – The Switch Pitcher, a baseball novelette that traces the development and challenges of a young boy who out of necessity learns to pitch both left-handed and right-handed.

 The book was written with a juvenile audience in mind, but adult baseball fans should find it interesting, too, says the author.

 Published by Black Rose Writing, the paperback tells the story primarily from the boy’s point of view and details how he learned to switch pitch as his team, the Pups, were nearing a showdown with the perennial league favorites. However, his new “ambi-disastrous” talent was destined to meet with controversy because “it just isn’t done.”

 According to Smith, his idea in writing this short novel, which he says is more like a very long short story, was to promote to youths the idea of creativity and meeting challenges head- on.

 “It’s the type of book that I, as a youth, would love to read. I think adults will like it, too, especially those interested in sports, baseball in particular,” said Smith. “It’s realistic in that some of the techniques are those that I developed many years ago, even the act of throwing horse apples at times when I ran short of baseballs.”

 The 66-page book is currently available for order at www.amazon.com/The-Switch-Pitcher-Leon-Smith/dp/1612963110. Price is $13.95 per copy. ISBN: 978-1-61296-311-2, Library of Congress Control Number: 2014932464.